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Raekwon at Maison

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Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is a rightly legendary record, begetting a nine-deep lineup of MC assassins, a revolutionary production aesthetic (lo-fi kung fu crate-diggers) and the beginnings of a New York City gangsta-rap renaissance (Nas, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z). But it was the fissuring of that 1993 nucleus that sent atomic shock waves throughout hip-hop, via a series of solo outings that ultimately made the Wu umbrella little more than window dressing. A potent combination of cinematic production (by the unleashed RZA) and verbal intercourse (with regular foil Ghostface Killah), Raekwon's sprawling, La Cosa Nostra-romancing Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... set the standard upon its release in 1995, one even he was unable to meet on RZA-less LPs Immobilarity (1999) and The Lex Diamond Story (2003). Fourteen years is a long time between sequels — particularly when they have little to do with one another — but Corey Woods makes like Doc Brown on 2009's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Part II, finding his art of storytelling intact with an even more ambitious sprawl (22 tracks over 72 minutes) that somehow coalesces despite a cacophony of A-list beat-makers, from the return of the RZA to Dr. Dre, Pete Rock and the late J Dilla. Stirring it all together is the Chef, still chewing on his lips, spitting chilling premeditations, watching dead-eyed from the inside of his cocaine empire as the walls start to crumble. "Cuban Linx 3 comin'," he warns on Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (Ice H2O/EMI), March's capitalizing yet still-killer placeholder. A blunt premonition for sure, but don't hold your breath. Dee-1, Lyrikill and Truth Universal open. Tickets $13 general admission, $20 VIP access. — Noah Bonaparte Pais